Microsoft Debuts Windows 10 on ARM: Here’s What You Should Know

Since Microsoft’s mobile ambitions didn’t really come to fruition even after a long fought battle, the Redmond giant has now optimized Windows 10 to smoothly operate on ARM-based processors. This project was only an experiment a couple years ago but Microsoft has come far and today shown off ARM-based devices at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit.

Branded as “Always Connected Devices”, Microsoft aims to provide consumers with a fully intuitive experience they’ve become accustomed to using their smartphones on the daily. The inclusion of ARM-based processors, pre-dominantly from Qualcomm, means you will now have the power of the most-popular mobile processor for Windows 10 machines. It means you’ll get the following benefits:

Efficiency

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors are powerful enough and can easily handle the load of Windows 10 but the idea behind building “Always Connected Devices” is to make Windows 10 devices more efficient. Microsoft wants you to pick up a device and power it on to the homescreen without any lag, just like on mobile devices.

Software

If you had been thinking that the full-fledged version of Window 10 can easily run on ARM-based laptops, then you’re not at all wrong. Microsoft will, however, be pushing out their lightweight ‘Windows 10 S’ on these ARM devices, giving users the option to upgrade. This also means you would not have to be stuck with the minimal app options on the Store and can run x32 apps on ARM devices after emulation.

LTE-compatible

With Snapdragon-based devices, Microsoft no longer has to worry about the inclusion of another hardware for LTE compatibility. Qualcomm has already embedded the necessary modem, such as the X16 LTE Gigabit modem, alongside the powerful 8xx-series chipsets. This is also the reason that the lineup has been named “Always Connected” as you don’t have to be close to Wi-Fi hotspots to connect to the Internet.

Extended Battery Life

Another advantage of this project will have to be an extended battery life. We’re all well aware of the deadbeat battery life of our current laptops but Qualcomm-powered laptops claim to bring an extended battery life of more than 20 hours. Isn’t that just unbelievable?

Talking about the official announcement of ARM-based PCs, Terry Myerson, Executive VP of Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft said,

We are again at the beginning of another major technology shift: the ability to be connected anytime, anywhere with Always Connected PCs that are instantly on, always connected with incredible battery life.

Microsoft currently has no plans of releasing an ARM-powered Surface laptop for its eager customers. It has all of its hardware partners, namely Asus, HP, Lenovo, and many others to test the waters before jumping into the market with a premium product of their own.

The Redmond giant brought two Snapdragon 835-powered laptops, i.e. Asus NovaGo & HP Envy x2, out on stage to show off the first-ever devices of the Always Connected lineup. It was then announced that these devices would retail for about $599 and $799 respectively. But, you cannot just run out and grab one of these just yet because they’ll be available for purchase in Spring of 2018. Do you plan on grabbing one of these ARM-based laptops? Do let us know in the comments down below.